Realization
by spacegypsy1
Summary: Daniel wakes up in a panic realizing he's fond of, crazy about, in love... no not that, but he cares about, okay maybe is in love with Vala.


Realization

Spacegypsy1

Aprx 1670 words

Timeline: after Unending.

~0i0~

Daniel wakes up in a panic realizing he's fond of, crazy about, in love... no not that, but he cares about, okay maybe is in love with Vala.

~0i0~ (I have posted this story without beta... forgive me)

At 0430 hours I shot up to a sitting position from a sound sleep. Looking around, I blinked furiously, grabbed my glasses and realized it was pitch black. I turned on the bedside lamp. Took a deep breath and thought about the dream, or thoughts, or whatever.

There existed this euphoric feeling before I woke up. I, well, I was, that is in the dream, kissing Vala. Weird, I know. I'm sure it has some other meaning, I mean other than actually kissing her. Her! She's my friend. My teammate. But kiss her? I don't think so!

It's not that I'm not fond of her.

Or maybe a little crazy about her. She's the one who keeps me from going crazy in this war with the Ori.

Crazy. That's what I feel when I'm around her. How could I actually want to kiss her. Her! The epitome of irresponsibility, no not any more. Untrustworthy? Nope. I trust her with my life. Sexiness – I mean, she's so... so, okay, yes sexy. Gods help me! I think I'm falling in... in... I'm crazy about her.

I can't, for the life of me, figure out when things changed. When I went from irritated and annoyed, to thinking, dreaming, wondering about Vala and me. Together.

No sense trying to sleep, ugh. May as well get up and work. And drink coffee. And work. And stop thinking about Vala. How? How did I got to this point? She came into my life like a runaway freight train that lost momentum and finally derailed. But not before it ran over me and left me in pieces that somehow she managed to pull back together. Yes, that's what started it all. The way she managed to make me take a long look at my life.

~0~

Here I sit in the commissary, it's 0500. I've had three cups of coffee and two of those sprinkled donuts she loves so much. Why do I eat these things? I don't even like them.

"Daniel?"

Oh shit. That voice. That warmed whiskey, provocative, flirtatious voice. "Hey." I scrubbed my face with my hands to wipe any vestige of the joy I felt seeing her here. Picking up my glasses I cleaned them on my tee shirt and put them back on. "You're up early. Join me for some coffee?" Why the hell did I say that?

She sat, or actually sort of plopped into the seat and rested her chin in her hands, elbows on the table. "I couldn't sleep. I had this, well, this sort of dream, sort of about, well, anyway, I couldn't sleep."

"I'll get you some coffee." I jumped up wondering irrationally what her dream was about. Was it about me? If I could get away from her for a few days, weeks, months, maybe I could get a handle on this odd obsession I find myself obsessing... oh never mind. I went and poured her coffee, doused it with tons of sugar and cream and set it before her with two sprinkle donuts. "Now, what was the dream about?" I can't believe that came out of my mouth.

She shrugged, took a bite of the donut and then slurped her coffee, licked her lips and smiled up at me.

My heart flipped over in my chest and other areas of my body stirred. I immediately walked back to the large coffee urn and filled yet another cup for myself.

Sneaking a peek at her I quickly turned away. Her hair, black as coal, stuck out in a riot of disorder. That always turns me on. Damn. Why? Why is that zany bed head so sexy? I just realized that I'm very attracted to her. Very. Not just sexually, no not just, though, yes, that too, but attracted as in potential mate. With that unexpected thought I dropped my coffee cup on the floor and didn't even flinch.

"Daniel! Are you alright?" She ran up to me, concerned.

I was near to drowning in the cool gray depths of her worried gaze. "No. Yes. No. Of course, yes." I stumbled over the words while thinking, maybe? No, absolutely not alright.

Stooping over, I started to clean up the mess I made and she joined me, paper towels in hand. I found myself grinning as I watched her hand swish the soggy towels back and forth. She has beautiful hands. And I stalled in my effort to pick up shards of glass, thinking about those hands on me.

Wrapping the remnants of the coffee cup in the paper towels, I reached up and placed them on a nearby table. My gaze found hers. And I saw there in her eyes a reflection of my feelings. Standing suddenly, I swore under my breath. She stood, too. Now looking at me with concern. My hand, of its own volition, and damp with coffee, touched her cheek. "Let's go out. Out to breakfast." I said.

"Sounds wonderful! I'd love to go! I need to change. I mean I can't go out in these." She swiped a hand down from her neck towards her knees.

I didn't need to be directed to look her over in that form fitting sleeveless, barely to her navel, tee shirt – which for the love of God was molded to her braless breasts – and the loose, low slung pajama pants. Nope. Didn't need that. "Damn." I swore under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. Okay, you go change and meet me in my office. And hurry. I want to get out of here before the place gets crazy, the alerts go off, and we're invaded by aliens. Er, bad aliens."

~0~

Is there something wrong with a man who watches a woman scarf down a stack of pancakes and gets turned on? Yep. I'm sure there is something wrong with me.

"Daniel?"

My eyes snapped to hers wondering if she was reading my mind. Really, I think sometimes she has some alien gift for mind-reading.

"Hmm?" I hummed, trying to keep my lips together before they either spread into a goofy grin, or, worse... or better yet, covered that amazing mouth of hers.

"Aren't you going to eat?" She grinned. "What are you thinking? You're very, quiet. What's going on, Daniel?"

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Work?" She cocked her head for a second before returning her attention to her plate and taking the last bite. Then Vala did something that sealed my fate. She licked syrup off her bottom lip.

"No." And then I did it, said it, didn't even know I was going to do it. "You."

"Huh?"

"You. I was thinking about you."

Vala can go from calm to crazy in a heartbeat. So I took a deep breath and waited expectantly. Nothing happened. Well, except she stared at me, silent as a tomb. Face blank. Eyes wide.

"So, nothing to say? You, _you_ have nothing to say?"

Her mouth opened and shut repeatedly. Still, nothing came out.

"Okay." What else could I say? What else? "I want to... I'd like to... I think that you and... and me could... ah... could, well, maybe, sort of... sort of date." My voice went up at the end on _date _as if I thought it could convince her, or me. "What I'm trying to say is that I've realized, recently, actually, some time ago, that..." I tanked, stalled. I lost all the words I've ever learned in my entire life. All of them. I sighed, dropped my head so far down that my chin rested on my chest and I stared at my half eaten breakfast.

Vala shifted in her seat and my eyes lifted. She was grinning, wide. Very, very wide. Teeth clamped. Eyes big. Shoulders raised. The typical sign that Vala is ecstatic. Lifting my head I too grinned. Taking out my wallet I laid down some money, stood, held out my hand and when she took it she scooted out.

Of course I thought I'd lead her out to the car and we would talk. Ha! She was in my arms so fast I reeled. That mouth. My god, that mouth! At last.

The realization that I loved her became cemented in my heart and I kissed her fiercely -right there in the iHop.

Probably the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life was break away from that kiss. "Let's go." I said with little conviction, wanting to stand there and kiss her until I died.

Vala appeared to be in a trance, just stood there, gaze locked on me, lips slightly swollen from my kiss.

"Ah," I uttered, then stammered on... "er, we can go back to the base," I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then rushed the next words. "Or pack and go to my place for the weekend."

Nodding, she batted her eyes. After a long moment she spoke. "Pack. Your place. Weekend. Right."

"Okay, good. Let's go." I spun away but was stopped when she grabbed my arm.

"All weekend?"

I looked back over my shoulder. "Yep."

"Nights, too?"

"Ah... ah... ah... yeee... yes. Nights, too." I hadn't actually thought about that. Oh, alright, I've thought about _that _but not _that_ tonight. All weekend. Nope, didn't think about it's time for _that._

"Then, darling, why do we have to go back to the base?"

"To pack!" I grumbled as I turned fully towards her.

"What?" She said with that look she used to make me feel stupid.

"What, what?" I snapped, feeling stupid.

"Pack what?" There was her smirk and one dark raised brow.

Damn that brow. "Clothes, Vala."

"Why?"

"Because." I said my voice rising.

"What on Earth would we need clothes for?" She licked her lips, and I felt weak. Or invigorated. Or something unmentionable.

There I was staring at her. That lithe, luscious, lovely women I realized I was in love with. "Why, indeed." I uttered, taking her hand. "Who needs clothes?"

~END


End file.
